The use of bioreactors to produce culture meat has been formally approved for sale by authorities in Singapore, a landmark decision which is the first of its kind globally. Producing meat without the need to slaughter animals has been a rapidly developing area of interest, with this latest decision a historic moment for the meat industry and wider world.
Produced by American company Eat Just, the 'chicken bites' have passed the required safety review by the Singapore Food Agency, paving the way for a future where all meat can be produced without the need to kill animals.
A myriad of businesses have been working hard to grow the likes of chicken, beef and pork for some time; the ambition being to help resolve the environmental and industrial issues caused by the production of meat around the world.
The cells utilised by Eat Just to create their 'chicken' are grown in a 1,200 litre bioreactor, after which they are then combined with plant-based ingredients to complete the process. At present, the manufacturing is a costly procedure, making it unlikely that we shall see such lab-grown meat available on a large scale any time soon.
Our next episode of 'In Conversation With...' shall provide further insight as to the topic of lab-grown meat, as we sit down with Dr Michael Dent, IDTechEx's technology analyst and expert in the current sustainability of the meat industry.